The traditional “full ride” scholarship covered things like tuition, fees, room and board and books, not to mention the opportunity to earn a college degree. The traditional “full ride” that is common vernacular is known as a grant-in-aid. A college degree is becoming more of a prerequisite in the working world, but still, for many people across the country, the expense of going to college just isn’t in the cards for them and earning a scholarship through athletic ability is an opportunity to better their lives.
However, just because a student-athlete is on scholarship does not mean they are a robot that will wake up, go to class, meetings, lifting, practice, back to meetings then back to a dorm room to do homework before turning in at night and doing it all over again.